POLAROID - A Seth Donchess Fan-Fiction

PART IV

It took me a long moment to summon a reply, but when I did, it was muzzled by a laugh: "Of course you're a model." The words came sweet as pie, and I barely had time to register what I'd actually said before Seth was tutting at me. A rhythmic beat in the back of his throat, it was almost a growl.

"What is that supposed to mean, Miss Planchard? Do I not strike you as the model type?" He leaned forward over the table, narrowing those quartz eyes at me. The absurdity of the question helped me keep my guard up: He was teasing me, he knew exactly what I had meant. If the way I lifted my chin and lowered my lashes everytime he spoke to me didn't give it away, then my curl of a smile would.

I raised just one eyebrow at him, hiding behind another sip of my coffee. "Oh, don't be coy," I chided, all brave and unblushed. Before I could go on however, he was reaching a hand towards my face concernedly, and I flinched in confusion.

"You've got cream on your nose. May I?" His voice was like velvet, each word draped in finery and smooth as chocolate. Eventually, I nodded, doing my best not to blush as his thumb grazed across the tip of my nose. It was a futile effort, and he smiled knowingly.

"Don't be coy, Miss Planchard," he cooed at me.

A thousand fantasies flashed behind my eyes: His broad hand grasping me by the jaw and pulling me over the table towards him, his lips crashing into mine with carefree vigour, his fingers curling in my hair to make a possessive knot, him yanking on that knot to reveal my neck—

"Where have you gone?" His voice brought me back to Earth, and I fluttered my eyes to see him watching me thoughtfully. There was a smirk that twisted just the corner of his God-forsaken, distracting mouth, and I squinted at him accusingly.

"I was just thinking, is all," I grasped for something. Anything. "I don't suppose you've got any gigs short of a camera this season, do you? Work's really quietened down."

I didn't want work. I had been so excited to have a month or two off, with just the odd shoot and some editing assignments, and yet here I was: Offering myself up to the unknown, just so I could see this beautiful man again. Seth grinned like he could read my mind, and a part of me hoped he could.

"There could be, Halloween's coming up. I can keep an eye out for you, if you'd like," he trailed off in question, and took a slow sip from his own drink. He was giving me an opening to decline, because he knew that I wouldn't.

"That would be great! I'm up for anything new to put in the portfolio." An easy smile followed, and I thumbed the lip of my draining cappuccino mug. "You have my number."

Seth dipped his chin in a slow nod, and his gaze flickered over me contemplatively.

"I do, don't I?"